Targeted Marketing: Focus on Less to Sell More2:57 pm

By Melissa Cober

Many businesses are initially wary of targeted marketing. This is because the idea of marketing to less people in order to sell more sounds counterintuitive. Trust us – it’s not. Here’s why your business cannot afford to overlook targeted marketing.

For one thing, no business has the resources to target everyone; it’s just too expensive.

Perhaps more importantly, though, if you attempt to market your business to everyone, your marketing materials will have to be extremely general and broadly appealing (read: watered down). Attempting to market your business to too general an audience will give you the reputation of a Jack of all trades, and people don’t trust dabblers. Your business should strive to be perceived as a niche expert. Targeted marketing helps accomplish this: By targeting certain demographics, you can tailor your message to them, allowing you to address their specific needs and demonstrate precisely why your service or product meets those needs better than any other.

Which would you find more convincing: An ad that says “BUY THIS!”, or an ad that says exactly how you personally will benefit from buying that product?

Here at US Data Corporation, we throw around the phrase “targeted marketing” a lot. That’s because targeted marketing is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign. However, this is sometimes easier said than done. The best way to identify your target audience is to take a look at your current consumers. What needs are you filling for them? Identify several key characteristics that can be extrapolated to demographics, and be specific. The more specific you are, the more relevant your marketing can be. However, don’t narrow down too far, either – a marketing campaign can’t be very successful if it is only seen by 1,000 people. You need to strike a balance between being relevant to your audience, and still having your message seen by as many potential consumers as possible.
Finally, re-analyze your target audience periodically to determine if your marketing campaigns are still as effective as they could be; people’s needs change over time, and this means that your target audience could potentially change as well.

Targeted marketing is well worth the extra effort it takes to identify your target audience. Don’t hesitate to contact US Data Corporation to find out how your business could benefit from a targeted marketing strategy.